Arts & Entertainment

Hitting the Roadways Tonight? Pack Some Patience

Friday's "perfect storm" of traffic-inducing Bay Area events could cause a few snarls.

By Joan S. Dentler

Are you heading to Candlestick tonight for the Jay Z and Justin Timberlake Legends of Summer Concert Tour

How about the only-slightly-more-mellow John Mayer show at Shoreline? Perhaps you’ll be going to the Giants game early to get your “Scutaro-ing” rain globe? Oh, you’re an A’s fan? They’re playing too — tonight. 

Me? I’m going to Stanford for the Bank of the WTA West Tennis Classic.  

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The common thread to all of these Friday night Bay Area events? Highways 101 and 280. Yikes.

Clearly the Jay Z/Timberlake concert is the biggie---packing 53,000 fans into the “Stick”---but it starts at just about the same time as every other event, so local traffic experts are warning that if you can avoid the area’s main arteries tonight, do it.

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According to the San Jose Mercury News, if you add up all the tickets sold to Bay Area events on Friday night, July 26, you’re looking at more than 140,000 bodies trying to get someplace by about 7 p.m. And don’t forget the regular folks who are just trying to get home from work or go out to dinner or a play at that time.

Aaron Siuda, vice president of Live Nation Northern California, advises concertgoers to take public transit or carpool. For those braving the roads, he said, "Don't plan on allowing yourself the normal time to get to a concert."

Instead, he advised leaving very early and expecting heavy traffic.

Live Nation has compiled a website with information about parking discounts, public transit options, shuttles and other transportation information. That site is available atticketmaster.com/jtjzcommute.

A good option for Peninsula event-goers is a shuttle service that is being offered to Candlestick from the San Mateo County Event Center (formerly the county fairgrounds) before and after the show. It costs $10 to park at the fairgrounds and $25 to take the shuttle. Shuttle tickets must be bought in advance at www.ticketmaster.com/event/1C004AEBE0E1827E.

California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel said extra units will be out on U.S. Highway 101 on Friday.

"It's going to be busy," he said. "We're going to be prepared for that."

San Francisco police spokeswoman Officer Tracy Turner said there would be increased enforcement near AT&T Park and Candlestick Park.

Public transportation resources:

CalTrain www.caltrain.com

Muni  www.sfmta.com

BART www.bart.gov

Are you attending any of these concerts or games tonight? How are you planning on getting there? Tell us in the comments below.

Bay City News contributed to this report. 


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